Dryland Tip: Band Pull With Cervical Rotation

Purpose: Many shoulder injuries occur from unbalanced stability of the shoulder. Specifically, the muscles in the front of the shoulder are commonly overused, while the muscles in the back of the shoulder remain doormat. Moreover, swimming uniquely requires head movement while shoulder stability is required. Unfortunately, many swimmers overuse shoulder muscles while breathing secondary to faulty breathing biomechanics.

Directions: Simply hold a resistance band with your elbows bent 90 degrees and your hands facing the ceiling. Start by pulling the band apart as far as possible, this activates the muscles in the back of the shoulder. Next, rotate your head side to side during this motion. This helps the differentiate the shoulder and neck musculature, hoping to improve control of these joints ideally translating to the pool.